System and method of use for a user interface dashboard of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning network

• US 8,452,456 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Devineni, Suresh Kumar, Wallaert, Timothy, Mirza, Muhammad Ali, Pavlak, Thomas Gerald, Thorson, Timothy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): WHITTINGTON, ANTHONY T
• Application Number:
  US12/603,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 700/276, 380/201, 705/412
• US Class Current: 700/276
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00985 Control systems or circuits characterised by display or indicating devices, e.g. voice simulators characterised by the input of sound using a voice synthesizer B60H1/00757; B60H1/00978 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1932 to control the temperature of a plurality of spaces

Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use of an HVAC graphical interface dashboard. In various embodiments, the dashboard includes a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen. The dashboard also includes an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein the humidity screen interprets a percentage of humidity for a user. A programs tab and a home tab are also provided.

Claims

1. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard for managing and controlling an HVAC system, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein said indoor humidity tab interprets a percentage of humidity for a user;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen wherein said HVAC system can be managed and controlled by programming at least one of;

a) time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions.

2. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the indoor humidity tab can further be used to set current indoor humidity setpoints.

3. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the programs tab further includes a fan mode.

4. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the help screen displays settings depending upon a screen displayed before the help tab is activated.

5. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the help screen allows a user to adjust settings on a screen without saving changes to the settings.

6. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein, in order to access an installer screen from the home screen, an installer is to press and hold an icon with a finger for a given time period and then drag the finger across the interface.

7. The dashboard of claim 1, wherein the installer screen is accessible only by entry of a key, wherein the key is entered by an installer.

8. An HVAC system including a graphical interface dashboard for managing and controlling said HVAC system and at least one coupled device, comprising:

the dashboard, including;

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein said indoor humidity tab interprets a percentage of humidity for a user;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances a user to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein pressing the programs tab invokes a programs screen wherein said HVAC system can be managed and controlled by programming at least one of;

i) a time;

ii) temperature setpoints;

iii) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances a user to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions; and

the at least one coupled device selected from the group including;

a) an air handler;

b) a furnace;

c) an evaporator coil;

d) a condenser coil; and

e) a compressor;

wherein the at least one coupled device is viewable from at least one of the tabs.

9. The dashboard of claim 8, further comprising an installer dashboard with an installer screen, wherein a selected item is highlighted in a display compared to other options, and wherein the other options are grayed in the installer screen.

10. The dashboard of claim 8, further comprising an installer dashboard with an installer screen, wherein the installer screen displays the minimum, maximum, increment/step, and factory default values for a selected device on the HVAC system.

11. The dashboard of claim 8, further comprising an installer dashboard with an installer screen, wherein a displayed factory default value of the installer screen is underlined.

12. The dashboard of claim 8, wherein at least one device coupled to the HVAC has a coarse adjustment and a fine adjustment displayed to set the device.

13. The dashboard of claim 8, further comprising an installer dashboard with an installer screen, wherein a device within the HVAC system to be diagnosed is moved as text by a finger movement from a more left part of a diagnostic interface to a more right part of a diagnostic interface.

14. The installer screen of claim 9, further comprising pushing a start button to begin diagnostics, and removing selected text by dragging the text back to the more left part of the diagnostic interface.

15. An HVAC graphical interface dashboard for an installer to manage and control an HVAC system, comprising:

a weather tab, wherein invoking the weather tab advances to a weather screen;

an indoor humidity tab, wherein invoking the indoor humidity tab advances to a humidity screen which displays at least a current indoor humidity, wherein said indoor humidity tab interprets a percentage of humidity for a user;

an alerts tab, wherein invoking the alerts tab advances to an alerts screen;

a help tab, wherein invoking the help tab advances to a help screen that provides context sensitive help that presents at least one dialog box related to a function of a current screen;

an indoor settings tab, wherein invoking the indoor settings tab advances to an indoor settings screen which includes a current indoor temperature;

a programs tab, wherein invoking the programs tab advances to a programs screen wherein said HVAC system can be managed and controlled by said installer programming at least one of;

a) a time;

b) temperature setpoints;

c) heating/cooling setpoints; and

a home tab, wherein invoking the home tab advances to a home screen which provides a summary of indoor conditions,

wherein the home tab can further advance to an installer dashboard that can be accessed only by an entry of a key, wherein the key is entered by said installer.

16. The dashboard of claim 15, wherein, in order to access an installer screen from the home screen, said installer is to press and hold an icon with a finger for a given time period and then drag the finger across the interface.

17. The dashboard of claim 15, wherein a button of the dashboard turns an inverse color when it is touched.

18. The installer dashboard of claim 15, wherein a selected item of the installer screen is highlighted in a display compared to other options, and wherein the other options are grayed in the installer screen.

19. The installer dashboard of claim 15, further comprising an installer screen that displays the minimum, maximum, increment/step, and factory default values for a selected device on the HVAC system.

20. The installer dashboard of claim 15, wherein a displayed factory default value of the installer screen is underlined.